Natural Feeds.

[Poultrybreeder]

I am going to start breeding my own slow grow meat broilers. However, with the other animals already here, this will boost the feed bill up quite a bit. I am considering asking around for stores to find one that I can pick up Expired Produce from to feed my Broilers. I am going to raise Duckweed as well for protein in their diet. I am going to add Scratch for the grain in their diet, so they would be getting Produce, Duckweed and Scratch as their main diet after they are done with chick starter. They will free range, and I could also add some source of Calcium if needed. Have a great day and God Bless!

 

[cavemanrich]

If you are budget minded, feed them whatever you can. Getting second chance produce is a good choice. Do the best you are able to.

I have posted this before on other threads , but here is a shortened version. ..
When I was a bitty boy way long long ago my mom raised chickens. There was no chicken feed available. Nor did we have money. Mom would boil up a pot of potatoes, skins and all. Chop up the potatoes with a garden tool and feed to the chickens. Sometimes added some wheat, and sometimes not. Wheat, we needed to make people bread, for us. Chickens free ranged all day long. Kept about a dozen chickens at any time. Hatched out our own when chicken would go broody. Had no incubator/brooder/heatlamps. No electricity until I was about 4. Ate the eggs and all the roosters. Keep in mind that there was chicken in the pot only on occasion.
We did alright. Chickens did same.

 

[centrarchid]

We did similar as I grew up. Electricity was available although it only figured for water pumping and supplmental lighting. You can go a long way to increase quality and quantity of natural forages. Having some larger livestock can also generate eats converted from hays / forage intake which can get a real boost if any grains used. Composting bins can add some additional eats.

My current efforts even take into account how you mow lawn / pasture.